Rosh HashanahAugust 8, 20266 min read
What Is the Shofar? The Sound of Rosh Hashanah
The shofar is a ram's horn sounded on Rosh Hashanah. What it means, the three blasts, why a ram's horn - and why it falls silent on Shabbos.
Read →Bayit Journal
Essays on parsha, Tanakh, daily practice, and the rhythms of Jewish life.
- GuidesJuly 24, 20269 min read
The Best Siddur for Beginners in 2026 - An Honest Guide
The best siddur for beginners in 2026 - ArtScroll, Koren, Metsudah, Tehillat Hashem - compared honestly, with how to choose your nusach first.
Read → - PrayerJuly 17, 20266 min read
What Is the Mourner's Kaddish? The Prayer With No Word for Death
The Mourner's Kaddish is an Aramaic prayer of praise said for the dead - yet it never mentions death. What it means, who says it, and for how long.
Read → - GuidesJuly 17, 20268 min read
The Best Jewish Learning Apps in 2026 - An Honest Guide
The best Jewish learning apps in 2026 - Sefaria, Chabad.org, Aleph Beta, Bayit, and more - compared honestly by what each one actually does best.
Read → - CalendarJuly 17, 20268 min read
Jewish Holidays 2026-2027: Every Major Date, and What Each Day Means
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown September 11, 2026. Every major Jewish holiday of the year 5787, with exact dates and a plain explanation of each one.
Read → - HebrewJuly 17, 20267 min read
The Best Apps to Learn Hebrew in 2026 - Modern, Biblical, or Both
Duolingo teaches you to order coffee in Tel Aviv - it won't help you read the Torah. The best Hebrew apps of 2026, sorted by which Hebrew you actually want.
Read → - ElulJuly 16, 20266 min read
What Is Elul? The Month of Return Before Rosh Hashanah
Elul is the Hebrew month before Rosh Hashanah - a season of teshuvah, the shofar, and quiet return. What Elul means and how Jews prepare for the Days of Awe.
Read → - HebrewJuly 16, 20267 min read
How to Learn to Read Hebrew as an Adult - A Realistic Guide
The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters and the vowels are regular. Ten minutes a day, and most adults are sounding out a siddur within two months. Here's the path.
Read → - TefilahJuly 16, 20266 min read
What Is the Amidah? The Standing Prayer at the Center of Jewish Life
The Amidah - also called the Shemoneh Esrei - is the silent standing prayer said three times a day. Its structure, its choreography, and why it's whispered.
Read → - ShabbosJuly 16, 20265 min read
What Is Havdalah? The Ceremony That Ends Shabbos
Havdalah means "separation" - wine, spices, and a braided candle marking the end of Shabbos. What you need, the order of the blessings, and what it all means.
Read → - TefilahMay 23, 20267 min read
What Is the Shema? The Six Words at the Heart of Jewish Prayer
Shema Yisrael means "Hear, O Israel" - the foundational declaration of Jewish faith. A beginner's guide to its six words, meaning, and when it is said.
Read → - ParshaMay 16, 20265 min read
What Is the Parsha? A Beginner's Guide to the Weekly Torah Portion
The Hebrew word parsha means "portion." Each week, Jews around the world read one of 54 sections of the Torah. Here's how the cycle works and how to enter it.
Read → - PracticeMay 16, 20266 min read
How to Start Studying Torah Daily: A Gentle Beginner's Guide
Five minutes a day, every day, is enough to build a lifelong relationship with Torah. Here's a practical guide for English-speaking beginners.
Read → - ShabbosMay 16, 20266 min read
Understanding Shabbos: Candle Lighting, Havdalah, and the Rhythm of the Week
Shabbos begins at sunset Friday - candles eighteen minutes before - and ends after three stars Saturday night. The practical rhythm and the deeper why.
Read → - TanakhMay 16, 20265 min read
Reading Tanakh with the Hebrew Alongside - Why It Changes Everything
You don't need fluent Hebrew to read the Tanakh in Hebrew. Reading the original alongside a translation is the highest-leverage practice for English speakers.
Read → - ConceptsMay 16, 20265 min read
What Is a Mitzvah? Beyond "Good Deed"
In English, "mitzvah" is often translated as a good deed. In Hebrew it means commandment - and it names something far stranger and more interesting.
Read → - LanguageMay 16, 20264 min read
What "Bayit" Means in Hebrew - And Why It Names Something Bigger Than a House
Bayit (בית) is the Hebrew word for house. But across Tanakh and the Sages, it names everything from the Beit Hamikdash to the Jewish family to one's inner life.
Read →